Absence of a lead defence counsel, Mr Olasupo Shsore,SAN, on Friday stalled the trial of a Danish, Peter Nielsen, accused of killing his wife and daughter, in an Igbosere High Court, Lagos.
Mr Mofiyinfoluwa Enitan, a counsel from the defendant’s team, had informed the court that the business of the day was for the defence to open its case.
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He, however, said that their lead counsel was not in court due to ill-health.
Enitan told the court that the defence had prepared to open its case before Shasore took ill.
“Our first witness, Mr Akeem Sanusi, is even in court, we were ready to open our case before the Silk took ill.
“I humbly apologise on behalf of the lead counsel, he is sick and cannot make it to court this morning.
“We contacted the prosecution team this morning about the development,” he said.
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However, Justice Okikiolu-Ighile, was displeased over the disruption of the case which was the only one on the cause list.
She adjourned the case until Dec. 6, for the defence to open its case.
Nielsen, 54, is charged with the April 5, 2018 death of his Nigerian singer wife, Zainab Ali-Nielsen, alias Alizee, and their three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Petra.
The Lagos State Government had accused the defendant of smothering Zainab and Petra to death at about 3:45a.m at No. 4, Flat 17, Bella Vista Tower, Banana Island Ikoyi.
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Nielsen was arraigned on June 13, 2018 on a two-count of murder contrary to Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
He denied the charge.
Lagos State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey, had called nine witnesses and closed its case.
On the last hearing, the defence counsel cross examined the prosecution’s last witness, Dr Richard Somiari.
Somiari had stated that the defendant’s DNA was found in the apartment and on Zainab’s night gown but was not found on the body of his deceased daughter, nor in the kitchen where the bodies were discovered.
The expert also stated that he found DNA of an unknown female in the kitchen.
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Somiari said that the forensic DNA team took steps to prevent contamination of the crime scene by putting on gloves, shoe covers, and disposable laboratory coats.
But when he was shown photographs from his visit to the crime scene, he admitted that some members of the DNA team did not put on the protective gear.
Somiari was also unable to account for the number of people that had access to the crime scene from the period between the discovery of the bodies and the examination of the crime scene by forensic experts.
The prosecution witness also informed the court that samples for DNA analysis were only taken from three occupants of the apartment; the defendant and the two deceased persons even though six people lived in the apartment at the time of the murder.
